Sheikha Bodour of Sharjah: Why the world has never needed books more than today
Sheikha Bodour of Sharjah is leading a reading revolution. She tells Alec Marsh about her mission to boost publishing in…
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Art & Culture
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Art & Culture
Who was the real ‘fifth man’?
Arun Kakar talks to the author of a new book about John Cairncross to discuss the elusive ‘fifth man’ and…
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Glorious Goodwood book review: ‘Richly anecdotal and quintessentially English’
A history of the 11 Dukes of Richmond reveals a long and proud tradition of sporting patronage, writes Christopher Silvester…
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Why the Star Wars universe is more morally complex than you might think
The huge destruction in the latest Star Wars films shines a light on the moral complexity of the franchise, writes…
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The Visit review: Lesley Manville shines in a ‘scathingly powerful reflection of society’
Tony Kushner’s latest at the national theatre a scathingly powerful reflection of society and the influence that money creates, writes…
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Donna Air – The Spear’s Midas interview
The Geordie actress, now starring in The Split on BBC1, talks divorce, happiness and being back on the Beeb How…
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Hilary Mantel Q & A: ‘I’ve started to regard Cromwell as a colleague’
Wolf Hall, the first in Hilary Mantel’s trilogy based on the life of the Tudor politician Thomas Cromwell, was the…
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Dr Jane Goodall – The Spear’s Midas interview
The revered primatologist on Africa and the environmental crisis – and why she’s furious with her namesake… How much is…
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On the American country house
The American country house was built to enjoy – not to last, writes Clive Aslet They do have country houses…
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William Cash: How the society literary festival is being revived
A few determined characters are reviving the old world of society literary festivals and salons, writes William Cash ‘It is…
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February reads: Four of the best books out now
Looking for something to read? Here are three recommended reads from Spear’s The Making of Murdoch, by Tom Roberts (Bloomsbury,…
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Why does poetry seldom, if ever, aspire to be part of a national conversation, asks Sam Leith I’ve been writing…
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Author Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia on Nigeria’s literary flowering
Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia’s debut novel both reflects current Nigerian life and hints at how it should progress, she tells Arun Kakar…
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‘A modest triumph and a triumph of modesty’
The memoirs of a close friend of the Queen and Princess Margaret shed new light on the era, writes Christopher…
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Britain’s answer to Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren’s genius is that he has shaped a whole nation’s taste at a profound level, says Nick Foulkes. But…
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The Windsors of discontent: Inside the comms nightmare of Royal Britain
With the royal family facing a torrent of negative media coverage over the past year, Emelia Hamilton-Russell talks to the…
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‘This was not well-ordered succession planning: this was chaos!’ – Jason Cowley on Arsenal’s woes
How does a football club manage succession when a great manager departs? Answers on a postcard from Jason Cowley Succession…
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Hedgehog’s diary: Billionaire bosses, Philip Green on screen and Lord Bell’s secret software
Our prickly epistolerian sniffs out the tastiest stories from the Square Mile, Mayfair and beyond, edited by Edwin Smith Green…
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A walk through theatreland with Simon Callow
After a lifetime in the West End, actor Simon Callow has made his own tribute to it. On a stroll…
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‘This old horse learned new tricks’ – Alessandro Tome tries guesting
There are many ways to indulge one’s ever- growing ‘personal space’ and still live sociably, as the experience of ‘guesting’…
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